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are unable to achieve this 100% of the time? Things won’t always go right the first time. As John F.
Kennedy once said, “Nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished with a guarantee of success.”
Often, things worth doing take repeated effort. A midcourse correction might be needed. Sometimes
it’s right that a task be abandoned, never finished. Develop a philosophical view of failure. Change
your internal reward system from one that only celebrates completion to one that recognizes effort.
Give yourself credit for successfully moving things forward incrementally. Praise yourself for seeking
feedback and fixing mistakes. Have the courage to rethink the plan. Salute your bold decisions to
change direction or halt, if that is the right thing to do.

4. Unsure why your contribution matters? Find the connection. It can be hard to engage your head
and heart if you can’t see how your efforts fit into the big picture. Everyone needs a clear line of sight
from their personal goals to the goals of the organization. Make it your business to learn all you can
about the vision, the overall objectives, the future direction. Read the mission statement and annual
reports. Talk to people who know. Then find a way to articulate how your responsibilities fit in. How
you contribute to success through the tasks you do each day. Why your efforts matter. Take pride in
the fact that you’re responsible for the achievement of something bigger than yourself and your
immediate team.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Ashkenas, R. (2012, July 9). Seven mistakes leaders make in setting goals. Forbes.

Chua, C. (2010, June 3). 11 Practical ways to stop procrastinating. Lifehack.
Doheny, K. (2008). Strategies to reduce perfectionism. Psych Central.
Mind Tools. (n.d.). Helping people take responsibility. Mind Tools.

5. Stuck in first gear on a new assignment? Focus to move forward. Write down where you are
now and where you want to be. Ask yourself: What are the benefits of achieving this goal? What do I
need in order to succeed? How will I get there? What paths could I take? Who else needs to be
involved? What could help/hinder my progress? How else could I achieve the required outcome?
Write down your answers. Use them to create actions. Start with what you will do now. Break big
action steps into a few smaller, more manageable ones. Arrange them in chronological order. Give
yourself a date by which each will be accomplished. Hold yourself accountable for each one. Review
your progress regularly and tick them off as you go. Use your plan to stay on top of what is going on.

6. Need to stay focused? Monitor progress regularly. How will you know you’ve delivered a
successful outcome? What will you see? Hear? Feel? How will you know you’re on track? What
formal and informal metrics will you use to measure progress? Take a look at what you’re responsible
for. Can you confidently answer each of those questions? If not, spend time clarifying. Discuss with
others where you need to. Set up a process to monitor progress toward goal achievement. Be
creative. Explore using visual aids. Maybe a thermometer or a running track with a finish line. Show
progress as you go. Create a sense of urgency by showing “hot spots” or where standards are
slipping. Indicate key milestones. Celebrate as each one is reached. Display team or departmental
goals and visual aids on the wall—somewhere prominent, where everyone will see them. If you are
setting goals for others, involve them in defining success measures. They’ll often come up with

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